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SHARP - Scottish Heart & Arterial Risk Prevention

site updated: March 2006

 

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Being Overweight

 

If you are overweight or obese, carrying this extra weight puts you at risk of developing many diseases, including heart disease.

Your doctor will be able to advise you on this and will let you know if your weight is likely to affect your health.

Some Health Centres run clinics to help with weight loss.

Are you overweight?

An easy way to assess this is by measuring your waist or calculating your Body Mass Index (BMI).

People store their body fat in two distinct ways.

  • Some store fat around their waist and can be described as apple shaped.
  • Others store their fat around their hips and are often described as pear shaped.

People who are apple shaped are at greater risk of heart disease and diabetes than those who are pear shaped.

Waist Measurement

Measure your waist half way between your bottom rib and your hip bone. For women, the waist should ideally be less than 31.5 inches or 80 centimetres, and for men 37 inches or 94 centimetres.

Body Mass Index

Body Mass Index is a measure of body fat based on height and weight, using standard or metric measurements. For example to use metric measurements divide your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in metres.

Click here for a BMI chart

What is a normal BMI?

  • normal:           20 - 24.9
  • overweight:     25 - 25.9
  • obese:            30 or more

 

 

 

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